Jass Moves from New Orleans to Chicago

In 1917, a famous part of New Orleans, known as Storyville, was closed down. This closure was prompted by the proliferation of disreputable establishments in the area over many years, leading the people of New Orleans to seek the elimination of these elements from their community. The impact on jazz, especially the Dixieland style of jazz, was profound. Musicians who performed this style of music were compelled to relocate to other parts of the country. Many moved up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, others ventured to Kansas City, and some even made the journey to Chicago. In this discussion, we'll focus on the specific developments in the jazz style that occurred in Chicago.

One of the most vital aspects of the New Orleans Dixieland style was group improvisation, particularly in the front line. In early New Orleans-style Dixieland music, front line musicians would improvise while playing simultaneously. However, the Chicago style introduced a significant shift in focus, emphasizing the spotlight on a single soloist. Undoubtedly, the most influential performer in this style of music was the legendary trumpet player Louis Armstrong. In his band performances, the entire ensemble—still a very small ensemble with the rhythm section and front line—would perform together at the beginning of the piece and then join forces again at the end. The middle section was left open for soloists, typically members of the front line and the piano player, to take a chorus and improvise a solo based on the piece's melody or the harmonic chord progressions, or a combination of the two.

Louis Armstrong led two groups that played a pivotal role in the development of this style of jazz: The Hot Five and The Hot Seven. Both of these groups made sound recordings in the 1920s, contributing to the popularization and accessibility of this style of jazz to the general public. Other notable musicians who played a key role in bringing this style to the public's attention included white musicians like Bix Beiderbecke and Paul Whiteman. In 1924, Paul Whiteman and his group presented the first jazz concert. This historic event took place at Aeolian Hall in New York City, a venue previously reserved for classical music concerts. The concert also marked the premiere of George Gershwin's famous jazz piano concerto, "Rhapsody in Blue." In several ways, this concert was historically significant, particularly in opening doors for jazz to be recognized as a genuine art form and to be performed in concert halls across the nation and the world.